Chapter Fourteen
Salvage Missions
Issei bit his bottom lip as he watched the rope attached to the side of the boat. If the rope was tugged then he had been instructed to start pulling on it until Archer was out of the water. If Archer could not respond then he would use the older man's cell phone to call for help while assessing the situation.
"Don't get heroic, Issei. Do what you can do, and don't put yourself at risk," Archer had said before falling back into the murky waters of Fuyuki's river.
Issei looked over at the choppy grayish-brown water and waited for a white head to pop out. There was nothing but the slapping of the water on the hull of the boat and Issei's heartbeat pounding in his ears. He stared at the control panel for the motorboat with little idea of how to drive or steer the thing. Archer had been the one to pilot it, drop anchor, and then dive into the water with all the ease of someone who had done that many times before.
So, the monk waited as Archer braved the depths to retrieve those beautiful, holy items.
Sweat trickled down his back and forehead, causing his clothing to stick unpleasantly. A stainless thermos resting on the floor was filled with iced barley tea, fresh brewed by Archer before they left. Issei had a sneaking suspicion it was just one of the mysterious man's many ways to show his appreciation, and he couldn't deny that he was pleased by the fact Archer remembered his choice of beverage during the summer months. The thermos top was twisted off and a good portion of its contents consumed, and all the while Issei did not take his eyes off the rope or the water.
Suddenly some catchy, electric jingle shattered the serene silence. He jumped and looked over to see the blue Samsung phone jittering in its spot as the noise grew more and more from it. Issei cursed silently as he lunged for the phone, all the while watching the rope and water, and flipped it open.
"Archer, you're becoming quite the hard man to reach. I've left two messages on your answering machine in the shop and I had to get this number from Sakura. I would wonder if you're trying to avoid me," a low, sultry woman's voice said over the other line.
Issei blinked then scowled at the voice and replied, "I apologize, but I am not Archer."
"Oh, you're the monk? Shirou's friend, Issei," the woman said with a low chuckle.
The monk scowled and asked, "May I ask who I am speaking with?"
"I'm Rider, Issei," she answered, "We've met. I'm Sakura's cousin visiting from Greece."
Issei adjusted his glasses and said, "Yes, I remember who you are. Unfortunately, Archer is busy right now. That was why he was not answering your calls."
"Good, I thought he was avoiding me," she said, her voice carrying an amused lilt.
"If Rin's a fox, treat Rider as a snake."
Yes, excellent advice Archer. If I question your choice in companionship, he thought with a sigh, It was bad enough that you're fond of Tohsaka, but this woman as well? He shook off the flare of jealousy that was burning like a small sun within him. He took a deep, slow breath and said, "No, he has other matters he is attending to and asked for my aid."
"Well, when he's available let him know I'm with Saber and we both could use his help. Let him know he can call Saber's work," Rider said with a smile.
Issei frowned and said, "I will."
It was cold, green, dark, and smelled like rot. He felt subtle pressure pressing into his ears the deeper into the depths he descended. The only sound reaching Archer was the heavy rasp of his breathing due to his scuba tank that allowed bubbles to drift sluggishly to the surface. There were faint ripples of light from the sunlight above, but the deeper he went the more the abyss around him grew.
He reached into the pack on his belt and pulled out a length of tubing that he snapped and shook. Soon pale sickly golden light filled his vision as he held the glorified glow stick in front of him as he adjusted his weight belt to go deeper. Diving into the river was nowhere near as dangerous as looking for survivors off the coast of South Africa where the two most dangerous sharks to man swam side by side.
However, some Bull Shark could have swam up river, he thought with dark humor at the adaptive and aggressive fish.
Chasing off the idea, he headed deeper and deeper until he felt power tingling across his skin. It was a subtle pull at first, but as he drew closer the feel of it made his chest tight. He kicked slowly as he righted himself from his swimming position to stare at the glorious thing shining on its own, even brighter than the artificial light that Archer had provided.
Then, through his air mask he cursed.
Excalibur was sticking handle up with the blade imbedded into the ground as Avalon rested against it, as if someone had positioned them that way. Tears smarted his eyes as he approached the blade and its sheath. Please let me draw you out, he thought as his shaking hand wrapped around Excalibur's handle.
His eyes widened, his breath caught, his chest tightened as he was overtaken. The water started to spiral around the blade and the person holding it, creating a whirlpool where Archer and Excalibur were in the center. The sheer radiance of sword and sheath burned his eyes as he flexed his hand around it while the glow stick was slid into his belt.
There was a slight pop and soon fluorescent yellow blobs were floating around them before getting swept into and crushed by the whirlpool. Excalibur's light grew more and more, illuminating the entire river as Archer wrapped his other hand around the handle. He drew a deep breath of the stored air, planted his feet into the soft mud, and closed his eyes.
Saber was simply dressed as a squire and standing in a beam of light. Green eyes were focused as small hands wrapped around the sword's handle before one foot was placed onto the stone holding it. One tug and the girl's fate was sealed as the Blade of the King was displayed to the people.
Excalibur was the sword that replaced Caliburn, but Archer was hoping he was making his intent clear.
I am bringing it to her. You will be in her hands again, Archer thought before opening his eyes. Prana flowed through veins, muscles, and bone as Circuits sparked to life in order to complete the precious task at hand. Archer screamed her name, her true name, against the respirator as he pulled.
Steel slid up easily before the glow and the whirlpool grew even more. Archer's arms were thrown up as the sword pointed itself to the sky as the swirling water surrounded them again. Closer and closer the spiraling water drew until its crushing pressure had blanketed around Archer before he was suddenly shot up. Faster and faster, man, sword, and sheath went as the water almost burned his cheeks and hands. His ears popped again and again with the changing pressure as it seemed to regulate as he reached the surface.
Issei was on the boat shouting at him as Archer treaded water while holding both Excalibur and Avalon. Gritting his teeth, Archer swam slowly to the boat before slinging the sword and its sheath over the side before climbing on board himself.
He pushed up his goggles and spat out the respirator before filling his lungs with real air. The sun was dazzlingly bright against the waters and when Archer looked out his vision was filled with tiny rainbows. He shook the water off of his face as his eyes slowly adjusted. Issei was kneeling beside him and asked, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," he answered with a nod before smiling, "Thank you."
Issei smiled, handed him a towel and said, "I believe what just happened is one of these things that I am aware of and should not know the details of."
"Well, the sword and I had an understanding," Archer said as he rubbed the rancid river water from his face.
Issei chuckled and said, "Still, I am glad you recovered them. They're even more beautiful up close."
Archer nodded as he looked at Excalibur and Avalon, feeling faint little flickers in his mind and body as if they were burning their images into his mind. He said, "Aren't they?"
"It was good of you to retrieve them," Issei said as he handed Archer a heavy blanket that still smelled heavily of incents from the monk's own blessing. Reverently, the sheath and sword were slowly wrapped into the cloth as Archer looked up at his friend.
Archer said, "It would have taken me a lot longer if you hadn't been here to help spot them."
"It was nothing. I would be a poor monk if I didn't feel their presence," Issei said with a bow of his head as color flooded his cheeks.
Archer smiled and said, "Still, thank you. Now to get these safe and take a shower."
He moved to the pilot's seat to see Issei standing there and adjusting his glasses. He tilted his head and asked, "What is it?"
". . . That Rider woman is very vexing. She called while you were down there," Issei said, his voice a mumble.
Archer sighed and said, "If she needs repairs on her bike this soon I'm going to take an extra two weeks to get it done just to make sure she's not so damned reckless on it."
"Ah, no. She said that she and Saber could use her help. I have the phone number that she said you could return her call on," Issei said as he lifted up a piece of paper.
Archer gritted his teeth and cursed, "Goddamn it." Then he reached out and took the phone.
It had been the fastest paced hour since Archer had returned to life.
He had returned the boat, made sure Issei got back to the temple safe, ran to Rin's to put Excalibur and Avalon in safekeeping, ran home to shower and change, and then headed directly to the Glass Slipper. He hadn't even had time to spike up his hair and was aware of it falling into his face as he entered the maid café. The door had been propped open and every window was open in a futile attempt to battle the heat.
A broken air conditioner wasn't the real reason why he was here, but he was terrified to think what was going on between Saber and Rider right now. The café was almost deserted except for Ryo, Taro, Daichi, a waitress, some older man suffering from obesity, and Rider. The Gorgon was smiling as she stood from her seat that she shared with the three youths that were constantly wanting Archer to tweak their bikes.
Her long, lavender hair was pulled back into a loose braid and her black tank top showed off the clean definition in her arms. "I was afraid that the monk wouldn't relay my message," Rider said with a smile. A slight sheen covered her from the sweat from being in such a stifling place for so long. Despite his cool shower, he felt his own skin start to prickle and moisten.
"Issei is not petty," a familiar voice said from behind Rider.
Archer's eyes widened, his breath caught, his chest tightened, and his whole body came alive at the sight before him.
It was a sight that he surely would have remembered even in the blackest of his Hells as it became branded into his memory.
Saber was standing there in a sharp contrast of black and white. There was a slight flush on her cheeks from the heat and each rise and fall of breath pressed her breasts even tighter in the fabric containing them. She wasn't as willowy and thin as Archer remembered, there were subtle curves in her hips now and her breasts were larger, but still small. Her head would have came up slightly higher to him than it had during their last fight.
All things that Archer hadn't noticed when she had been wearing a baggy T-shirt and jeans when he had rescued her from Gilgamesh.
Things he was certainly noticing now. Like the bit of white thigh that was the forbidden territory between the short black skirt she was wearing and her thigh high white stockings. The flesh nestled there was firm and tantalizing, and he itched to run his hand up that pristine skin before following it with his tongue. The maid uniform did its job all too well in its sexualization of its wearer.
It was a thought that should have pissed him off about Saber, and somewhere it probably was, but right now he could only stare. Somehow, along the year and a half they had been alive, Saber had been growing up. Subtle, slight differences, but Archer was aware of each of them from how her body had grown more supple, her hair longer, and even just a centimeter or two taller. Her face wasn't as childlike and round, there was a slight hollowness to her cheeks that made her even more lovely, but her eyes were as large and radiant as before, if a little sad.
Saber's blush grew even more as she walked up to him, her eyes lowering so they were not meeting his. She said, "I am sorry she called you here."
Right. Air conditioning. It needs to be fixed, the thought somehow got through his lust addled mind. He cleared his throat and said, "Its fine."
Rider was frowning slightly, he'd all but forgotten her as soon as he caught sight of Saber. The Gorgon's lips pursed together in a thin line as her arms folded under her breasts. He moved closer to Saber and said, "Could you show me where it's at?"
"I'm sure my manager or Asuka could," Saber said looking away.
Rider said, "I could lend you a hand as well, Archer."
"I'd be more comfortable to work around you, Saber," Archer said and finally Saber's eyes met up with his, the emerald pools threatening to drown him.
She nodded and said, "I understand."
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